Can Masturbation Cause Low Sperm Count And Reduce Fertility?

Can Masturbation Cause Low Sperm Count And Reduce Fertility?

Male masturbation refers to sexual stimulation of a man's own genitals, usually to the point of orgasm. Ejaculation usually takes place during male masturbation. When a couple is trying to get pregnant, the male who masturbates, however, may need to limit his masturbation and conserve the sperm stores for the fertilization of the egg.

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Male masturbation or "wanking" is stimulation of the male genitals for the purpose of advancing sexual arousal and having an orgasm usually with ejaculation. Most people masturbate or wank until they have an orgasm and when men masturbate and have an orgasm they ejaculate. Masturbation or wanking is a part of normal human sexuality. When a couple is trying to get pregnant, the male who masturbates, however, may need to limit his masturbation and conserve the sperm stores for the fertilization of the egg.

What Happens During Masturbation?
Every time a man masturbates to completion, he has an orgasm an ejaculates. The ejaculation of semen lowers the sperm count available to fertilize the egg. The male body needs to produce more sperm in order to refill the fertilization tank, so to speak, and that takes time. For the man who masturbates more than once a day, the stores will consistently be lower than the man who does not masturbate.

In order to keep sperm counts higher, men need to conserve the ejaculations for intercourse. When the man allows the sperm to build up in the semen rather than constantly depleting those stores, increased fertility can result.

Female masturbation may also play a role in infertility. When the female orgasm takes place, the cervix dips down to touch the end of the vagina. This dip is the bodies way of naturally increasing fertility. When the female masturbates during intercourse, if she achieves orgasm before the male, the acids of the vagina may enter the cervix and decrease the amount of sperm remaining viable for fertilization of the egg.

Maintaining a Higher Sperm Count
There are other ways for men to keep sperm counts high. These include wearing loose fitting under garments, refraining from over indulging in alcohol and quitting smoking. The higher the sperm count in the body, the higher the chances that one of the sperm will make it to the egg to fertilize it before it absorbs into the lining of the uterus.

Tests for Sperm Count Levels
If the male feels they may have a lower than normal sperm count and this low sperm count is causing the infertility, a sperm count test can be done to find out if there are any problems in the male reproductive system. The sperm count test requires a sample of the semen given at a clinic with the results being given, usually by mail, at a later date.

Alternative Methods to Increasing Sperm Count
When it comes to increasing the amount of sperm and the mobility of the sperm, there are natural methods that can greatly affect sperm quality and quantity. The first line of defense is the diet. Maintaining a healthy diet and taking a daily vitamin and mineral supplement can help increase the overall health of the body and thus the sperm.

In recent studies, zinc supplementation when paired with folic acid can increase the quality of sperm produced. Doctors have long known the positive effects of folic acid on the fetus, but until lately have not known of a direct link between folic acid and sperm production.

Maintaining healthy sperm and a high sperm count can mean the difference in fertility. With the cost of fertility treatments reaching the thousands of dollars, it is sometimes best to examine the natural ways to increase sperm quality and quantity. Masturbating less often and eating a healthy diet rich in zinc and folic acid are great steps toward achieving parenthood without any outside intervention.

source: http://www.babymed.com/getting-pregnant/male-masturbation-fertility-sperm-count#